Jim Bianco

How do you photograph a large group 30 or more people indoors using a single flash? Thanks Jim Bianco

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I would be sure that flash is very powerful (800 to 1200 W-s) and in a 7' white-lined octagonal soft box placed several feet above my head! Alternatively, I'd put two white satin 45" umbrella lights three feet above me, about two feet apart, each with 400 to 800 W-s of power.

I would not attempt to use a camera-mounted shoe flash. There's just not enough power and too much specularity. At the distance needed for a group of 30 or more, you'll get red-eye with direct flash, and the shadows of people in front will obscure some (parts of) the people in the back rows.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Make sure the flash angle of coverage is greater than the angle of view for the lens used.
In other words... If the lens used has a coverage angle wider that the flash, the light will fade off on the people to the left and right.

melismus Loc: Chesapeake Bay Country

I think the answer is: "Not very well."

Arca

Jim Bianco,

I have done this for the Rotary club meetings and conferences. If the people could be lined up with eight, seven, eight and seven people, with the first row sitting down, then short people, medium height people and tallest people in the back line. If the flash unit has a dispersion filter, use it. Long lines of people to the sides necessitates a wide angle lens and renders people's faces small and without sufficient expression or identification. I would avoid that if I could. Grouping them together renders them somewhat larger and enables the flash to encompass them better.

You might also try five lines of six people or six lines of five people, nicely spaced of course. I typically would have people looking toward the camera, but have their bodies slightly at an angle to the camera, such as in a series of 'V's, allowing people to stand somewhat closer together and getting rid of 'turkey necks' if that exists in your group of 30. This is due to stretching of the neck skin, especially under the chin. Women, in particular, enjoy the results of this detail. Also, in order to prevent numerous 'spiders' have all of the people's hands with their fingers together, not split up. It is a small detail but makes a big difference. Make sure no one is hidden behind the face or hairdo of the person in front of them.

If the ceiling is low and of a light color, you could use bounce flash, that would be great. Or if you could bounce the flash off of the wall behind you, providing it is a very light color, that would be great too. Lastly, if you have access to a ladder, even one of those three step ladders, that would give you some elevation and may help you by changing the angle of view.

If there are more than 30 people, I would still attempt to group them together as opposed to stringing them out to the sides for the reason mentioned above. For 35 people, try five rows of seven or seven rows of five. With bigger groups, you may need the height. I wonder if you could use a panorama of three or four shots from side to side, providing no one moves during that period of focusing and shutter releasing?

Hope this helps.

Arca

Rongnongno Loc: FL

First off, you need to be at a higher vantage point. So that no one can really 'hide', a stepladder will do.
Second set you flash to manual and control the flash output, do a couple of test shots before everyone arrives.
Then it is up to you to control the situation.

Some excellent tips in the post above, way more thorough than mine.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

That brings up an important related point about group photography. Counterintuitively, it IS NOT a good idea to use a wide angle lens for groups. When the lens is shorter than the diagonal dimension of the sensor, you start to make the people at the edges of the group look FAT. This is just simple physics that I won't bore you with.

The conclusion of that boring explanation is that I would limit the focal length at the short end of my zoom lens to:

Micro 4/3 — 22mm (actual)

APS-C (Canon) — 26mm (actual)

APS-C (Nikon, Fujifilm) — 28mm (actual)

Full Frame — 43mm (actual)

This is not just theoretical. We had charts for this sort of stuff at the school portrait company where I trained photographers... We had to, because there were always rogue photographers who wanted to use a 17-55mm lens on Canon APS-C at 17mm. YES, they got the group. But the customers complained about how fat the teachers appeared (they always stood to the sides of the kids!). It's not good for business when teachers complain to principals about school photography companies...

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

A great reason to use a ladder is to shorten the effective distance to the back row, by lengthening the distance to the front row (with elevation), improving depth-of-field. Getting the flash up high will even out coverage a bit, and drop the shadows behind the subjects.

Worst case scenario is a big conference room with dark paneled walls and an 8' ceiling!

Group photography is an event that should be pre-planned, with a site survey and some coordination with the group's leader. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

With great difficulty ! The flash could/should wind up being just a fill/catch light with ambient light serving as the main light if possible......If the main light is the flash, it will have to be quite powerful ! The key will be keeping everyone equi-distant from the flash and the flash have a very wide projection angle -"bare bulb" may be best and slightly off axis from the camera.

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

I photographed a large group by having them stand outdoors in the shade (no other lighting) and I was elevated on a balcony, but a sturdy ladder could work as well.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

How about posing them with the "Posing Guide"?
This was posted by another UHH'er a while back.
I'm pretty sure that may be useful for you too.
Best Wishes,
JimmyT Sends

Edit: You have already received great advice about shooting down on the group, etc.

Dannj

To your last point: I’ve done school photography and I learned very early on about placing teachers in the group photos. That info came from my school teacher wife😂

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

The assumption is that this is indoors at night with no daylight outside option?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Standard practice in the Team and Individual portrait business…